Cruise Reviews

About us- cruise is our choice when traveling. Love to be on the sea and visit different destinations daily! We have been on 20+cruises. We like aft balconies, good food and wine. We do not really frequent shows.
First and foremost ... Read More

About us- cruise is our choice when traveling. Love to be on the sea and visit different destinations daily! We have been on 20+cruises. We like aft balconies, good food and wine. We do not really frequent shows.
First and foremost we had a wonderful trip- these are some details pros and cons. I read alot of reviews when i am planning a trip and i hope my details help you.
We chose this trip because of the itinerary- how can you beat Rome and the Greek Islands. This was also our 35th wedding anniversary. We are platinum status on RCL.
We flew TAP airline- love them used them 2 years ago to Barcelona as well !!!
Car service to and from airport to hotel- Italy Private Excusions- prompt, polite- great job- they were recommend from Rome in Limo as they were already booked
Pre and post hotel- Hotel Barocco -love this boutique hotel. Great service, lovely room, the best breakfast and sweet cappuccino. I could not wait to get back there post cruise for coffee. Upgraded our room and left beautiful wine and fruit. We were leaving at 3:30 am to come home and they offered a box breakfast to go- so sweet and great location.
Ship- Ship is small, which is fine if you are not looking for all the bells and whistles of the larger ships. We had no issue with the size. Pool area- solarium pool had children in it.
Staff- all super friendly working hard- great job
Food- No please do not misunderstand- we did not go hungry. But the food in the dining room has declined. I requested a garden salad in the dining room and was told that Cesar salad was the only choice. Fish was over cooked and dry. Meats were over salted and tough. The hours of the dining room would change depending on port leaving long lines even for folks who had reservations- just not customer friendly. Bread and croutons were stale. Specialty dining was a step better- but not much. Scallop potatoes dry and over cooked- nothing seemed fresh. We went to both Chops and Giovanni's- Giovanni is lovely- i really wanted to like it but the food was so salty. The pasta was gummy. Deserts were mushy and tasteless. Windjammer was decent- liked the grab and go egg sandwiches on port days and the choices were plentiful.
Sushi Class- What a great event! i had read a review of this before we left and decided to do it. 35.00 per person - but you get huge amounts of delicious sushi. This was not a demo you actually make the sushi and feel like you can do at home for family and friends. If you like sushi this is really fun.
Bar service- we did have drink package- purchased on a special and found we probably lost money on it but enjoyed the freedom of not thinking about it. Bar service was good, drinks were good and the bartenders friendly and made suggestions to try new drinks. We particularly enjoyed the bartenders at Schooner bar after dinner. Vintages the wine bar was my favorite where Angeline the sommelier there was a delight to talk to about wine and travel.
Ports-
Santorini- Book the shore excursion Oia on your own!!!! I never book ship excursions but this gets you off the ship and to Santorini efficiently. Santorini is not easy to get in and out of. We used our SBC to buy it. We went to Oia and i got my photos (bucket list). We then went to Santos winery and did huge wine tasting with incredible views. left around 7:30 pm short line to the tram. I didn't even see donkeys. It is hot bring a hat!
Mykonos- St James Beach Club-until 1:00 pm then back to town and walked around saw the windmills and had a late lunch right there overlooking the water. - Kazarma had wine and sandwiches and just relaxed. Very nice day.
Athens- we hired Georges Taxi for the day- did this ahead of time and well worth 220 E for both for the day - we saw EVERYTHING. Ask for Kostas as your driver he is the best! He gave us so much information in the air conditioned car that we knew what we were looking at while out in hot sun. We saw Acropolis, changing of the guard, ancient agora, Olympic stadium, wonderful authentic lunch at a taverna, In the afternoon we visited the national museum- I asked Kostas for sweets and he brought us to a bakery with amazing baklava. Just a fantastic day- he wa the best.
Katakolon- charming fishing village- walked around and shopped a little.
Pre cruise- did a food tour with Rome Food Tours- wonderful guide, lots of walking and a nice selection of food.
Post cruise- back to hotel Barocco and then toured the forum and coliseum.
Feel free to ask me questions. Read Less

Went on a family vacation August 2019 on jewel of the seas with Royal Caribbean. Spent 3 days in Rome, Italy before the cruise and to be honest that was my favourite part of our holiday. I would rate overall experience on the ship 3/5. ... Read More

Went on a family vacation August 2019 on jewel of the seas with Royal Caribbean. Spent 3 days in Rome, Italy before the cruise and to be honest that was my favourite part of our holiday. I would rate overall experience on the ship 3/5. Here are some of the pros and cons:
Pros:
•exceptionally friendly staff (especially during dining experiences, they always knew our names and usual orders)
•food was delicious and plentiful
•cabins were spacious and had a good layout
•there were always activities going on throughout the day/evening (I highly recommend going the safari club for nightly karaoke)
•staff was very welcoming and accommodating (especially our stateroom attendant)
•there are lots of bars so it’s never a long wait for a drink
•there are many seating areas throughout the ship so there’s always a place to sit
•it was smooth and easy getting on/off the boat at the ports
•beds/sheets were very comfortable
•lots of elevators that are quick and efficient
•the fitness center was exceptional. they have everything you need and there is lots of space.
•tons of activities for kids as they have a “kids club”
Cons
•lots of wear and tear throughout the boat (very disappointing)
•the solarium (adults only pool) closed very early at 845pm every night
•the rooms and shared areas could have been cleaner as I did not find them overly clean
•the main pool was closed in the day several times due to children contaminating it with bodily fluids
•lots of games in the arcade were out of order or broken
•windjammer cafe (the buffet) had limited seating lots of the days
•some of the hallways had a old/unpleasant smell
•rock climbing wall was only open for a few hours a day which was disappointing
Overall I had a nice time on Jewel of the Seas, but would I choose this cruise again? No. Definitely needs some refurbishing and maintenance in the near future. I was very impressed with the staff and service aboard though. Great for families and children as there are many activities targeted towards a younger age. Read Less

After our first cruise on Symphony of the Seas we were worried a smaller ship would disappoint us. It didnt. We really didn't miss anything and thought the Jewel was lovely. The staff however is horrible in comparison. We only saw our ... Read More

After our first cruise on Symphony of the Seas we were worried a smaller ship would disappoint us. It didnt. We really didn't miss anything and thought the Jewel was lovely. The staff however is horrible in comparison. We only saw our cabin steward a couple of times. He was not interested nor did he remember our names. When we fist arrived the toilet seat was not clean, lipstick on towels and hairs in the bathroom sink. Not a great start of our Cruise.
Overall we thought the staff was not very enthusiastic or happy. Didn't seem to care if food items in Windjammer were out and needed replacing. Dirty plates could stack up and be there for the duration of the meals.
There were or course exceptions but overall staff seemed tired and not interested.
Entertainment in the theater was low quality one of the guys couldn't sing at all.
If this had been our first cruise we would have never gone again. Read Less